McCornack's Genealogy-33 - Robert Pascal McCornack

Robert Pascal and his family initially lived on "Frisco" in the south part of Oklahoma City in a 4 room house located on the property of his brother James Milroy McCornack. Immediately north of the house was a cottonseed mill. Robert Pascal farmed for James Milroy and for his work he received a salary of $9.00 per week. By the time Ellen was born in December 1896, Robert Pascal and his family were living on a farm east of Britton. Britton was a small town north of Oklahoma City. Daughter Ethel reports: "Charlie and Roy went to the Britton school in 1897 and 1898."

--------------THE TRIP TO TEXAS --------------

Learning from her parents as she grew older, daughter Ethel reports:

"When my mother's mother died in Kansas in 1898, Uncle Tom Dodd and Aunt Tillie [mother's older sister] came down and wanted my folks to go with them to Texas. They went with them in our covered wagon - Dodd's had 2 wagons - when they got to Temple, Texas, our father decided he had enough of Texas so they left them there. The Dodds continued on to Texarkana where they lived for a few years before they moved on to the Rio Grande Valley. My folks came back to good old Oklahoma City. On the way back they picked cotton. I was about four and one half years old, but I remembered a few things that would impress a little girl. My folks put up a tent where we were working and the hogs got into our food. Our father chopped down trees and made a rail fence around the tent so the pigs couldn't get in. I do remember how much fun it was to crawl over and on that fence."

----------------THE RETURN TO OKLAHOMA -----------

When Robert Pascal and his family returned to Oklahoma they returned to their original house on James Milroy McCornack's farm. Robert Pascal continued to farm for his brother, in his spare time he would use a dipper to get sand from the river and use the sand to make cement blocks. He was able to make many different shapes and some of his blocks were used to construct an entrance to Wheeler Park which was located between Western and Shartel Streets. When James Milroy asked rent for the house, Robert Pascal and Dorothy Caroline decided it was time for them to buy some property of their own. This property was close by on Wadsworth Street [now 17th Street] near "Lighting Creek". Here they raised their family while Robert Pascal continued to work for his brother James Milroy. The four oldest children graduated from the Washington School located at Noble and Walker.

---------------BECK AND KITTY ----------------

Robert Pascal developed a reputation for hard work, being "good" with animals and always trying to help someone else. Sometimes these qualities tended to work against him. For example he was always working for his brother James Milroy instead of for himself. Other times it brought pride to the family.

Family recollections include the time he was traveling down Grand Avenue with his favorite team of mules. The mules were called "Beck" and "Kitty". He came upon a van transfer wagon buried up to the axles in the mud. Attached to the wagon was a beautiful team of large horses. By the time Robert Pascal had arrived a large crowd had gathered to witness the unsuccessful attempt by the big horses to extract the wagon from the mud. Robert Pascal pulled up with his small unsophisticated mules and said "Unhitch that double tree and let me have a chance". By this time the transfer driver was desperate. Once Beck and Kitty were hooked up, Robert Pascal called for them to move. They dug their heels in and quickly extracted the wagon to the delight of the gathered crowd.

-------------THE OLD CLOCK AND GOOD MUSIC --------

Another example of Robert Pascal's generosity was illustrated with the time he gave money to a family to help buy food for their hungry children. For this help, the family gave Robert Pascal an old clock which for many years sat on the mantle in the home of his daughter Ethel. Dorothy Caroline provided a strong musical environment in the McCornack home. She had brought her organ from Kansas where she had earned as much as $7.00 per week giving organ lessons. On 8 Nov 1910, Dorothy Caroline bought a new piano from the Armstrong, Byrd Music Company in Oklahoma City and incurred a note of $165.00. The note was paid off at the rate of $8.00 per month. On the 6 Aug 1912 the note was paid in full.

Many years later daughters Ethel and Ellen were discussing their early childhood memories. Daughter Ellen commented "We didn't have much worldly goods, but we were raised in a home of love, good food, and good music". Ethel replied "What more would you want?"

-------------- THE SUN STROKE --------------

Life once again changed for Robert Pascal and his family on one hot summer day on the 13 July 1910. With the temperature near 110F in the shade, Robert Pascal was out working in the corn field for his brother James Milroy. Robert Pascal decided to rest in the shade of a wagon, the next thing that he remembered was that he was in the full sun and felt strange. Robert Pascal had suffered a "sun stroke". This affected him for the rest of his life. Dorothy Caroline had to assume the responsibility for the family and all the children had to pitch in and help earn a living.

--------------WORLD WAR I --------------

Like many parents, Robert Pascal and Dorothy Caroline had a son that served in World War I. Their son Roy was stationed in France for 18 months. The following are excerpts from a typical letter that Dorothy Caroline wrote her son. It provides a glimpse of what life was like in the McCornack home.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

August 17, 1918

Mr. Roy McCornack % Batty A 65th Arty C.A.C.

My Dear Son,

I would love so well to see you this evening, but will have to be content with writing. All is well as usual here. I hope you are still well and all right.

All the news we get from over there reads very favorable. You people over there seem to keep them on the jump and I sure hope they still continue to retreat. You sure are gaining grand. Keep the good work going while they are on the backward move.

Mrs. Riddle phoned today to find out how Myrtle is. She is having to be watched very close the last few days. She can't hardly get around any more. Its due any time now, altho she is out riding this evening. They have a woman staying with them, a nurse. [A third child, Frank Alfred, was born to John McCornack [Roy's brother] and Myrtle Riddle thirteen days later]

Well Roy right here I quit writing to see who was at the door. Someone said good evening as they stepped on the porch. The thought that came to me was that sounds like Leon and sure enough it was him.. It sure was a surprised for they and us have tried and tried to get him to come so long. We had given it up, but he got laid off from work on the road until it rained and he said no telling how long that would be and he could not afford to lay around and there was nothing to do at home except what the little boys can do. My but it is dry and bad out there this year nearly every one out there have turned their stock in on their crops. They don't know what they will do for winter feed, but I guess there will be a way provided. Alfalfa hay here yesterday was $1.25 per bale.

Ice is 50 cents per 100 on the wagons or 30 cents if we get it ourselves. So we just save that 20 cents per 100 and I am most always the victim that gets it or goes after it. They deal out just 25 lbs to a family but I have managed to get 100 every time so far. That one armed man in that plant on the south roadway told me to come to him and he would see that I got a 100 for myself and son if we each have a cow and milk to keep.

Charley and a couple of fellows went out by Mustang the other evening after work and got a bu. more of peaches, $2.50 per bu., that makes them 4 bu. now. I bought a peck from Mrs. Carpenter and she gave me a basket of culls to make butter. They were just over ripe ones that would not stand hauling to market. I don't think I will buy many at the present high prices for we have about 35 qts left over from last year besides 12 or 14 qts of peach pickles. We have 18 qts of blackberries left from last year . We did not get any this year. They were almost a total failure. We have about 30 qts of canned apples from last year and its a good thing too for if they keep dropping off like they are now there won't be many and they will likely be high priced. Well in all I think we had 169 qts left over. With my 28 qts of tomato ketchup that I have made and the grapes, onions, and pickles that I will put up, we will get along nicely. I am going to try and fill all the jars I have with something but the jelly profits is out of the question on account of the sugar problem, only two lbs to a family a month and 25 lbs for canning purposes and that's not much you know when it comes to making jellies.

Ethel is taking Lee with her in Al's car to get junket to make ice cream at Johnnies' this evening. Lee is the same go easy boy that he always was. Just sits and listens. He is almost as bad about the singing as Jim Shaw was. I think he would listen always if the girls could sing that long. He keeps saying that's nice sing another one. They are to sing at Church tonight and I am going to insist that he go with me to Church.

Oh yes Ethel got on permanently out to the Capital working for the State Geologists or the oil and gas corporation at $80.00 per month. So you see that will make us get along nicely otherwise we could not near get along with just Ellen's wages with the present prices of everything. Now we can loan more to help win this war and also give more to the Red Cross work.

We did not get a letter last week from you but trust you are all right. Be good and do your best and all will be well I am sure. With lots of love and kisses and best wishes. I am your mother. [Dorothy Caroline McCornack]

-------------THE LAST DAYS -------------

Dorothy Caroline died on 2 Jan 1922 at the home of her son Charlie Robert at Cloud Chief, Oklahoma. She was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma City. Leon stated "I loved her as much as if she was my own mother." Seven years later Robert Pascal McCornack died at Norman, Oklahoma and was buried beside his wife Dorothy Caroline Walden.

--------------THE DISCOVERY OF OIL ---------------

After the death of Robert Pascal McCornack in 1929. Oil was discovered on the McCornack property in Oklahoma City in 1930. The McCornack well had the capability to produce 48,000 barrels of oil per day. At todays prices the oil from that well would sell for over $1.4 million per day. Family recollections indicate that the five members of the second family received about $10,000 each before production was stopped.

Family records indicate that the members of the first family, Margaret, Jennie, and Mae shared in $6,000. They were represented by Rueben McCornack, son of Leon, in the handling of the oil money. Rueben wrote his aunts on 5 Oct 1930 with the following advice: "Your brother, Leon, thinks that it would be best to sell your interest and re-invest in a better position. With your money you can purchase a larger royalty interest where there is less speculation. Really isn't that a business like way to look at the matter?"

The advice was followed and a letter dated 28 Apr 1931 from Rueben documents the results. "It seems as though most everything imaginable has happened to the petroleum industry since these investments were made. Proration orders were made permitting almost no production and the price of oil has dropped from about $1.30 per barrel to its present level of about 67 cents per barrel."

In the letters he enclosed a check for $52.20 for payment of money received from the investments. Many of the other McCornack family members experienced similar results and as a result the McCornacks entered the depression years of the 1930's like most other Americans. The government forced the abandonment of the well on the McCornack property because there were too many wells drilled in a small area. This stopped most of the oil income for the McCornack Family.

On returning to visit the area near "Lighting Creek" fifty three years after the well was abandoned, we found a well the government left still producing oil on the other side of "Lighting Creek". The well is within 100 feet of the original McCornack property. It was obviously still pumping oil from underneath the original Robert Pascal McCornack property.